If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Four spoke wheel radio control lights?

Hey all, so I'm replacing some lights in my car and one of them that went out was the steering wheel audio controls. Now, I found the bulbs for the HVAC controls in LEDs and I was thinking maybe these would be a replacement.

I was thinking red 3mm LED ones, the only concern I have is if they would be too deep. The high power one is smaller but apparently it's very bright. I'm ordering some other lights so I figured I'd toss one on for .88c. Anyone else replace them with something different?

Re: Four spoke wheel radio control lights?

I did this for mine. I don't remember what size it was, but just measure the old bulb that was there before. DON'T GET THE BRIGHTEST ONE! I got the basic led and it was still way too bright. It hurt to look at when driving in the dark. The red part of the old bulb is actually a little rubber nipple that fits over the bulb. Pinch that off and put it over the led and it'll be much better.

Re: Four spoke wheel radio control lights?

Also if you're like me and the yellow light on the cruise control button is way too bright, take this time while you have the buttons out to fix it. I used to have to drive with my finger over the light or just not use cruise control...it was blinding! Hobby Lobby has translucent paint made for glass. Pick up some orange, open up the button (mind the spring falling out) and put a dab of paint directly onto the led. You'll thank me later.

Re: Four spoke wheel radio control lights?

Well the light for cruise control still works, I'll have some spare lights once I remove the working ones from the controls now (about half of them went out) so if it does go out I can just swap it with a known working one. Once I have an idea on the size though, I could also find an LED of my own and put it into one of the non-working housings.

Re: Four spoke wheel radio control lights?

Originally Posted by Dextar

The difference between stock and the new LED light.

See, that's what I was talking about. Way too bright, plus you have light bleeding out the edges. Put the red rubber caps from the stock lights over the LEDs and it'll be more like stock.
Also the cruise control light is a soldered led and I wasn't talking about replacing it. I was talking about it being so much brighter than the other lights and being a distraction during night driving. Put a dab of glass paint on that LED and it's soooo much better.

Re: Four spoke wheel radio control lights?

It looks like it's bleeding a lot worse than it really does because it was still pulled out at that point.

This is more of a night setting, I'm sure it will bleed more with the other two lights being LEDs. It is brighter but I don't think it's quite too bright but a little bit of paint on the LEDs would help, I would try the caps but the few I removed were stuck to the bulb (almost as if they had melted on). The cruise control has never bothered me though.